MANILA, Philippines — While ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Eric Yap believes that House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano will remain in his post despite alleged talks of coup, he is also of the opinion that there are groups that want the Speaker ousted.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel, Yap was asked if he personally believes there are groups who would want Cayetano out from his post.
“Opo, kasi alam niya ang pulitika; maraming mapulitika talaga,” Yap, who chairs the powerful appropriations committee, said.
(Yes, because he knows politics; there are many who are politicking.)
“Hindi ko masagot kung bakit pero ang sakin naman kasi, kung magch-change ng leadership mamaya, ano ang maitutulong natin sa Pilipinas nun? Paano natin gagawin yang budget ng maayos?” Yap said.
(I cannot answer why, but for me, if there will be a change in leadership later, how will that help the country? How will we accomplish the budget properly?)
Should House leaders be changed, Yap said he is willing to step down as appropriations chair but this should happen on proper timing.
The lawmaker said this after presidential son and House Deputy Speaker Paolo Duterte, also a close ally of Yap, was reportedly intending to declare leadership posts in the lower chamber vacant as some congressmen argue over the proposed 2021 national budget.
But Yap clarified that Duterte never said he would personally declare the leadership posts vacant.
“‘Yung sinabi niya is parang sinasabi niya sa mga members na kung kayo nagrereklamo, hindi kayo masaya sa leadership, edi kayo mag-declare ng vacancy sa leadership. Ang stand niya from the start is pagdating sa budget, ayaw niya makialam,” Yap said.
(What he is said if there are congressmen who want to complain and not happy with the leadership, then they should declare the leadership posts vacant. His stand from the start when it comes to the budget is that he doesn’t want to meddle.)
“Never naman niyang sinabi na he will declare. Ang sabi niya, he will ask the Mindanao bloc kung may reklamo sila, then sila mag-declare kasi siya, wala naman siyang reklamo dahil hindi siya nakikialam sa budget eh,” he added.
(He never said that he will declare the posts vacant. What he said was he will ask the Mindanao bloc, if they have issues, they can declare the vacancy.)
In the same interview, Yap said he has a “99.9 percent feeling” that Cayetano will remain in his post despite the alleged coup this afternoon.
“Ito po, opinyon ko lang ito pero I have 99.9 percent feeling na talagang si Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano pa rin ang magiging Speaker namin dahil wala namang problema sa pamamalakad niya so ‘yung ibang mga parochial concerns ng mga congressman, we try to address that,” Yap said.
(This is my opinion. I am 99.9 percent confident that Speaker Cayetano will still be the Speaker. We have no problems with his leadership. There are other parochial concerns with congressmen, we try to address that.)
The recent arguments over the proposed 2021 national budget has led many to question if this is related to the term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
To recall, in July 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte said Cayetano would serve as House Speaker in the first 15 months of the 18th Congress while Velasco will succeed to serve for the remaining 21 months under a term-sharing agreement.
If this is to be followed, Cayetano’s term would end in October this year.
In February, Cayetano claimed that Velasco is promising chairmanship and budget allocation to members of the lower chamber, saying that he received “verified” information regarding an “attempt” to oust him as Speaker.
Velasco denied the alleged plan to oust Cayetano, saying the reports regarding the issue were “baseless”.
Velasco also said that he is honoring the term-sharing deal.
READ: Velasco dangles budget, chairmanship to congressmen – Cayetano